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Who Needs Case-Sensitivity in Java?
David Barber asks: "I've just started learning Java, and to my exceptional disappointment it is as case-sensitive as C. I'd like to ask Slashdot readers to make the case for case-sensitivity in a programming language, because I can't see it. Although I've used C on and off since 1976, I also have a history of Fortran, COBOL, PL/I, assembler, and other legacy languages that were never case sensitive (perhaps due to the single case nature of card punches). Today I use modern languages including Visual Basic which preserves case for pleasing appearance, but is not case-sensitive itself (it will correct the case for you in the IDE, which is quite nice). In all my years of programming I have never seen the rationale for making a programming language case sensitive. It simply makes typing it in harder, and mistakes easier, yet we persevere with maintaining it in modern languages like Java. Without making this into a religious war, can someone make the argument of why case-sensitivity in a language is 'a good thing'? And don't confuse this with handling case-sensitive data, which is fine."
Case sensitivity is just a tradition, with its roots in the Old Testiment.
He who knows not and knows he knows not is a wise man. He who knows not and knows not he knows not is a fool.
Today I use modern languages including Visual Basic
Real programmers don't use (Visual) BASIC... at least not after puberty ! ;-)
With Case Sensitivity, I can have 52 one letter variables, not 26!
Python strongly encourages it. :-)
Perhaps syntax errors should cause your monitor to explode. I think using deprecated modules already does.
Let me check....
Python 2.2.3 (#42, May 30 2003, 18:12:08) [MSC 32 bit (Intel)] on Your Mom
Type "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
IDLE 0.8 -- press F1 for help
>>> import fcntl B`LAST!!!!
AAAIIIGH! Mine EYES!
Aye.
In english, the concept of upper and lower case is quite simple.
...
I think you mean:
In English, the concept
(Sorry, couldn't resist...)
There are only 10 types of people: those who understand decimal, those who don't, and, uh, 8 other types I forget.
GEE, LET ME THINK...WHY DO WE NEED CASE-SENSITIVITY IN A LANGUAGE? COULD IT BE BECAUSE CASE CAN ENCODE ADDITIONAL MEANING? Take the above paragraph as an example. Was I yelling? Sure seems like it. In the same way, additional meaning can be encoded within a programming language by using that little Shift button on your keyboard.
I've just started learning Spanish, and to my exceptional disappointment it is as spelling-sensitive as English. I'd like to ask Slashdot readers to make the case for spelling-sensitivity in a written language, because I can't see it. Although I've used English on and off since 1976, I also have a history of Egyptian heiroglyphics, runatic symbols, street signs, pictographs, and other legacy languages that were never spelling sensitive (perhaps due to the lack of letters in these symbolic languagues). Today I use modern languages including American Sign Language which preserves spelling for pleasing appearance, but is not spelling-sensitive itself (it will correct the case for you in the Word, which is quite nice). In all my years of speaking I have never seen the rationale for making a language spelling sensitive. It simply makes typing it in harder, and mistakes easier, yet we persevere with maintaining it in modern languages like Spanish. Without making this into a religious war, can someone make the argument of why spelling-sensitivity in a language is 'a good thing'? And don't confuse this with handling spelling-sensitive surnames, which is fine."
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